Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for family, health, and life in general. However, Black Friday has turned it into a business.
Traditionally, the true value of Thanksgiving lies at home not the shopping centers. However, Black Friday has nowadays allowed society to ignore this as individuals long for something that they do not need or even truly want. Shopping on Black Friday becomes a sign of a shift into a culture that values material wealth over spending time with loved ones. People are willing to force their way through the crowds in their desperate search for marked-down sweaters and necklaces.
In recent years, Thanksgiving has become a pre-Black Friday holiday for many families. They are devoted to mapping out shopping routes and making organized schedules for which stores to hit first. By drawing individuals out to shopping centers with "matchless savings", businesses encourage this behavior of ignoring Thanksgiving. Many families take their home-cooked meals while camping out at the door of shopping centers. With each new year, Thanksgiving is becoming victim to over-commercialization—switching from a meaningful time of thanks and family to a day dedicated to products and profit.
Black Friday has shown that with current common standards, people cannot even set aside a single day to appreciate what they already have without immediately buying more. Families have lost sight of what is truly important in life, and have found reasons in debating between a low cost HD television and an appreciation for what they already have. Remember, Thanksgiving should be a day in which people are grateful for all that they have.
【小题1】The underlined word "this" in paragraph 2 probably refers to ______.
| A．the sign of a shift | B．the material wealth |
| C．the shopping crowd | D．the true value of Thanksgiving |
| A．Make full preparations for the Black Friday shopping. |
| B．Visit some newly-opened shopping centers in advance. |
| C．Find it difficult to choose a store for their first visit. |
| D．Go camping at the gate of shopping center for a good deal. |
| A．set aside a single day to buy more |
| B．try to spend less to get low cost products |
| C．stay with our families as long as we can |
| D．appreciate what we've possessed with our families |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Worried. | C．Supportive. | D．Unconcerned. |
【小题1】D
【小题2】A
【小题3】D
【小题4】B
解析试题分析：文章介绍感恩节是应该对我们拥有的东西心存感激的时候，但是现在黑色星期五购物已经让人们忘记了感恩节的传统。
【小题1】猜词题：从第二段的句子：Traditionally, the true value of Thanksgiving lies at home not the shopping centers.传统上，感恩节的真正的价值是在家里不是购物，但是现在这些都被忽视了，可知this指的是感恩节的真正的价值。选D
【小题2】细节题：从文章第三段的句子：In recent years, Thanksgiving has become a pre-Black Friday holiday for many families. They are devoted to mapping out shopping routes and making organized schedules for which stores to hit first.可知最近几年，当感恩节到来的时候，大部分家庭会为黑色星期五购物做好充分准备，选A
【小题3】细节题：从文章最后一段的句子：Remember, Thanksgiving should be a day in which people are grateful for all that they have.可知作者主要想告诉我们应该感激我们和家人拥有的，选D
【小题4】推理题：从文章第三段的句子：With each new year, Thanksgiving is becoming victim to over-commercialization—switching from a meaningful time of thanks and family to a day dedicated to products and profit.可知作者对现在人们过感恩节的方式是担心的，选B
考点：考查社会现象类短文
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
You may not have heard of Ashoka, but for the past 27 years,this association, founded by Bill Drayton, has fought poverty (贫穷)and sickness, promoted education and encouraged small businesses. To support these worthy causes, Ashoka provides money for the world's most promising "changemakers" seeking to solve (解决) urgent problems and would like to create a world in which every citizen is a changemaker.
Drayton believes that anyone can become an agent for change. The important thing is to simply give yourself permission. If you see a problem that you care about, you can help solve it. The young in particular are willing to accept this concept because at heart every child wants to grow into a happy, healthy, contributing adult. In fact It is many young people's ambition to set up programmes or businesses that improve social conditions. An excellent example is an Ashoka project started in 1995 in Dhaka, which handled the rubbish problem facing the city ,helped local farmers and provided an income for poor people there .
When Masqsood and Iftekhar began to study the problem of all the uncollected rubbish that lay in Dhaka’s streets,Attracting tats and disease , they discovered that 80% of it was natural waste . So they educated the poor people in the city to compost (把……制成堆粪)this waste . They knew that they would have a market for the end product because local farmers were struggling with chemical ferntilisers (化肥) which were expensive and had reduced the natural minerals in the soil over the years . At first , they were refused ,but once they were able to persuade them that there was money to be made , the project took off. In 2009 sales were $14,000.
Drayton is optimistic that in ten years Ashoka will be making really serious ,practical progress in bringing about social change by changing the way we look at economic development.
【小题1】Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?
| A．changemakers | B．Businessmen |
| C．Social Conditions | D．Rubbish Problem |
| A．the local farmers | B．Masqsood and Iftekhar |
| C．Drayton and his team | D．the poor people in Dhaka |
| A．considers Drayton's concept |
| B．gets permission from Ashoka |
| C．tries to improve social conditions |
| D．is a young, happy and healthy adult |
| A．changing | B．forgiving | C．cautious | D．Positive |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The desire for a better life is sometimes so big that it makes people leave their countries and their families and work in other countries. They know that they will have to face difficult moments, that they won't be able to communicate with the persons around them, and that they have to work in illegal conditions to get the money they need for their families, but they all take these chances and they hope they will succeed.
On the other hand, there are people who immigrate (移民) just for the sake of the people they love. They leave their families to make other families with the people they love. Women go to meet their men who have chosen other countries to start a new life, even if they miss their families and friends. Maybe they don't have a place to work but they are able to wait to see what destiny (命运) has for them.
There are also the cases of the people who are forced to leave their countries because of a war which threatens their lives. They'd rather start from the very beginning again than risk putting their lives in danger.
When well-developed countries see that their homeland is being "invaded" by lots of immigrants, they set new laws that make immigration harder. As a result of this, many illegal immigrants cross the borders and are eager to work, although they are paid only half the amount of money native workers receive for the same kind of job.
The opinions of the local people are varied and they range from total refusal to complete acceptance. Immigrants in countries which have large communities of them are fighting for the recognition of their social rights and for equal treatment. Many immigrants have managed to be fully accepted by the communities where they live and have managed to change the opinions of the local people about them.
【小题1】Which of the following reasons for immigration is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Escaping from a war. |
| B．Being reunited with the beloved people. |
| C．Seeking a better life |
| D．Studying a foreign language |
| A．To accept them. |
| B．To refuse them. |
| C．To put limitations on immigration. |
| D．To encourage them. |
| A．Some immigrants are still fighting for their rights now. |
| B．Immigrants are never accepted no matter how hard they try. |
| C．Native people usually earn more money than illegal immigrants. |
| D．The local people have different attitudes toward immigrants. |
| A．many people go to other countries with great determination |
| B．illegal immigrants cause great damage to developed countries |
| C．stricter laws should be set to prevent immigration |
| D．culture shock causes great anxiety in some immigrants |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
A MENTORING(导师制) program is giving life changing opportunities to Banbury youth.
Young Inspirations was founded two years ago to provide mentoring sessions for students and unemployed young adults aged 11 to 21.
Alex Goldberg，the program's founder，said：“We set up Young Inspirations because we wanted to give young people experiences which will potentially be life changing and broaden their outlook.”
“We try to create work experience opportunities that will really make a difference to our youth.For example，we've secured internships(实习) with worldfamous firms such as Honda.”
“At a time of funding cutbacks where schools are finding it more and more difficult to offer this kind of mentoring，it is extremely important that these opportunities are available both to help youth with their school work and grades and to give them opportunities which may help shape their futures.” Kieran Hepburn,14，is one of a group of Banbury youth who has benefited from the program so far.In October the Banbury School pupil was accompanied by Young Inspirations staff to Paris where he was an observer at the United Nations Educational，Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) International Youth Forum(论坛)．
The event was held for young people from around the world，to seek their views on how the future of youth and education should look.Kieran joined several hundred observers mostly in their 20s and was the only UK school pupil to attend the event.Kieran thinks the trip was a life changing experience.“Before we left I didn't quite know what to make of it but when we got there we didn't stop，it was amazing，” he said，“We went to three or four hours of debates each day and then did something cultural each afternoon.”
The main theme of the forum was how youth can drive change in political and public life.It dealt with issues(问题) such as drug abuse，violence and unemployment.
Kieran said：“It has really helped me to improve my confidence and social skills as well as my school grades and I was voted most improved pupil at school in August.”
The Young Inspirations mentoring sessions take place each Friday in Banbury.For details visit www.younginspirations.com.
【小题1】The Young Inspirations mentoring program aims to ______.
| A．train staff for worldfamous firms |
| B．offer job opportunities to young adults |
| C．provide youth with unique experiences |
| D．equip the unemployed with different skills |
| A．the lack of support from firms |
| B．the cultural differences |
| C．the effect of unemployment |
| D．the shortage of money |
| A．the visit to the United Kingdom was amazing |
| B．Kieran has made great progress in many aspects |
| C．the youth have found a way to solve their problems |
| D．the mentoring sessions are held every day except Friday |
| A．Alex Goldberg，Founder of Young Inspirations |
| B．Young People Find a World of Opportunity |
| C．Kieran，Banbury School Pupil to Paris |
| D．Debates Help Youth with Their Grades |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Does eating a good breakfast improve school study? A study of more than 1,000 pupils in the city of Lawrence suggests it does.
Youngsters who took part in the breakfast program improved their scores in the tests much more than those who didn’t. Among those who attended the program, fewer were found late for school than those who didn’t. And much fewer were found absent from their classes.
“Starting the day with a meal appears to be quite helpful,” says Amy Sampson, a research professor, who carried out the experiment on the students for a year.
Students who miss breakfast may be losing out on important nourishment in fruit, milk, bread and so on. If you are in a hurry in the morning, get you some pieces of bread with some fruit or yogurt. In that case, you won’t have to go to the selling machines for some chips or candy bars.
【小题1】How many students in primary school are interviewed in Lawrence.
| A．1000 | B．over 1000 | C．less than 1000 | D．almost 1000 |
| A．are clever than those who didn’t |
| B．are healthier than those who didn’t |
| C．were often late for school |
| D．made greater progress in the study than those who didn’t |
| A．the Lawrence City government | B．teachers in a middle school |
| C．a professor | D．1,000 pupils |
| A．Over 1,000 pupils took part in the experiment. |
| B．The experiment lasted a year. |
| C．A good breakfast can improve school study. |
| D．A good breakfast means eating a lot . |
| A．Breakfast or not? | B．1,000 clever pupils. |
| C．How to keep fit? | D．How to become clever? |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Are you carrying too much on your back at school? I’m sure lots of children of your age will say “Yes”. Not only the students in China have this problem, but children in the United
States also have heavy school bags.
Doctors are starting to worry that younger and younger students are having back and neck problems as a result of school bags being too heavy for them.
“It’s hard for me to go upstairs with my bag because it’s so heavy,” said Rick Hammond, an 11-year-old student in the US.
Rick is among students who have common school bags with two straps (带子) to carry them, but many other students choose rolling bags.
But even with rolling bags, getting up stairs and buses is still a problem for children. Many of them have hurt their backs and necks because of the heavy school bags.
But how much is too much? Doctors say students should carry no more than 10% to 15% of their own body weight.
Scott Bautch, a back doctor, said children under Grade 4 should stay with 10%. But it is also important that older children don’t stay with over 15%, because their bodies are still growing. “Children are losing their balance and falling down with their school bags,” he said.
Parents and teachers are starting to tell children to only take home library books they will be reading that night. Some teachers are using pieces of paper or thin workbooks for students to take home.
One of the best answers is, as some children said, to have no homework at all!
【小题1】From the passage we can know that .
| A．only children in China carry too heavy school bags |
| B．both children in China and the US carry too heavy school bags |
| C．children in other countries don’t carry too heavy bags |
| D．only children in the US carry too heavy school bags |
| A．they are too young |
| B．they don’t know how to go upstairs |
| C．their school bags are too heavy |
| D．their parents don’t always go upstairs with them together |
| A．his back and neck will be hurt | B．his head and arms will be hurt |
| C．his hands will be hurt | D．his feet will be hurt |
| A．5 kilos | B．3 kilos | C．5.5 kilos | D．4.5 kilos |
| A．they should have a little homework to do after they get home |
| B．their teachers had better not ask them to do any homework |
| C．they should only take home library books they will read that night |
| D．they should use thin workbooks instead of thick ones |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Italy is one country where beauty is prized more than any other virtue. That is, except in the small town of Piobbico, the self-declared World Capital of Ugly People. The road sign at the edge of the town even warns visitors that they are entering the ugly zone. People who consider themselves ugly have been gathering in Piobbico since the 1960s. That’s when Ugly Club president Telesforo Lacobelli established a dating agency for women who believed they were too ugly to attract husbands. Lacobelli believes that he is ugly himself because he has a short nose in a country where long or large noses have always been considered beautiful.
People from around the world travel to Piobbico to tell their sad stories of ugliness. During the annual Festival of the Ugly, which occurs on the first Sunday of every September, hundreds of people gather in Piobbico’s town square to elect the president of the Ugly Club. Lacobelli wins the election every year. The Ugly Club has over 20, 000 members. They carry ID cards that grade their ugliness from bearable to extreme. A prize is awarded to Ugly Club members who qualify as extremely ugly.
The Ugly Club president insists that ugliness is a virtue. Since beautiful people get a lot of attention for their beauty alone, they have to work hard to prove their other virtues. Ugly people, on the other hand, are genuine and do not have to prove anything to anybody, according to Lacobelli.
Lacobelli is a spokesperson for ugly people everywhere. He believes that the uglier one is, the better life can be. Though the club enjoys making fun of beauty, especially beauty contests, Lacobelli has a serious side as well. He believes that too many people suffer from financial and emotional pressures because they don’t meet society’s standards of beauty. The fact that beautiful people are more successful in the workforce is a problem that Lacobelli has attempted to bring forward to the Italian public and government.
【小题1】Piobbico is rather special in that .
| A．it is a very small town | B．it is home to ugly people |
| C．it receives no visitors | D．it is the capital of Italy |
| A．Because he is the ugliest person in the whole world. |
| B．Because his ugliness is always graded as bearable. |
| C．Because he is a spokesperson for ugly people everywhere. |
| D．Because he has won the members’ trust and admiration. |
| A．Ugly people are most respected in Italy. |
| B．The Festival of the Ugly is held every two years. |
| C．Ugly people are unfairly treated in society. |
| D．The uglier one is, the better life he or she lives. |
| A．The Ugly Capital of the World | B．The Ugliest Person of the World |
| C．Festival of the Ugly | D．Beauty Contests Should be Banned |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Everybody cheats. Whether it’s the taxi driver who tricks a visitor and takes them the long way round, or the shop assistant who doesn’t give the correct change, or the police officer who accepts a bribe (贿赂) – everybody’s at it. Cheats in the nest include the scientist whose research was based on fake data, the game show competitors who worked with a friend in the audience or win a million pounds, and the doctor who made up his qualifications and wasn’t really a doctor at all. Everybody cheats; nobody’s playing the game.
Is cheating acceptable, a natural way of surviving and being successful? Or is it something that should be frowned on, and young people discouraged from doing? If it’s the latter how can we explain to children why so many bend the rules?
Take sport for example. The Word Cup was filled with cheating. Whether diving, pretending to be hurt or denying a handball, footballers will do anything for a free – kick or a penalty shot. France striker Henry denied cheating to win the free – kick which led to his side’s second goal in their 3 – 1 victory over Spain. Many footballers, however, are often putting it on. Whatever the nationality there’s one common plot: the player rolls over holding their leg, ankle or head seeming to be in great pain. As a result a yellow card and / or free – kick is given for the foul and then, a few seconds later, the player is up and about as if nothing had happened ! The ref (裁判) may be taken in by it but youngsters watching the game aren’t. They also see their heroes getting away with it.
Of course it’s not just football. In 1998 the Tour de France, the world’s greatest cycling event, was hit by a drug – taking scandal (丑闻). The 40 bottles of forbidden drugs found with the Fustian team caused a massive investigation that almost caused the Tour to be abandoned. One rider, Veronique, was banned for 9 months. He claimed: “You have cheats in sport, just as you do in business – there will always be people trying to take a short cut. At least we’re not turning a blind eye to the problem, which other sports are.”
Is it all unavoidable? There’s huge pressure on all athletes to perform for their fans and for their sponsors. It’s success, money and power that rule professional sport rather than an honest attempt to do the best one can.
Meanwhile companies around the world are losing billions of dollars to fake products. From cut price CDs and DVDs to sportswear, cheap fake products are everywhere. It has become socially acceptable to buy fake Gucci bags and illegal copies of films. If parents are doing this, their children will follow.
So perhaps it’s not surprising that around the world more pupils than ever are caught cheating during exams. In one case missing exam papers were put up for sale on the Internet. In another, widespread cheating took place by pupils using their mobile phones to receive tested answers. They blame the pressure put on them to do well in exams. It doesn’t help that their role models are also cheats. Surely we can’t complain when we’re setting such a bad example.
【小题1】According to the passage, in which way can a game show player cheat?
| A．By taking an indirect way. |
| B．By gaining aid from a friend. |
| C．By taking forbidden drugs. |
| D．By selling fake products. |
| A．to be disapproved of | B．to be pushed forward |
| C．to be taken the place of | D．to be stuck with |
| A．show cheating is a common phenomenon nowadays |
| B．discuss the relationship between sport and cheating |
| C．explore the nature of cheating in important events |
| D．warn coaches and athletes of the danger of cheating |
| A．explain why people in almost every field cheat |
| B．complain about cheats in school education |
| C．persuade young people not to cheat in exams |
| D．blame the society for tolerating cheats |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
On the high-speed train Avignon to Paris, my husband and I landed in the only remaining seats on the train, in the middle of a car, directly opposite a Frenchwoman of middle years. It was an extremely uncomfortable arrangement to be looking straight into the eyes of a stranger. My husband and I pulled out books. The woman produced a large makeup case and made up her face. Except for a lunch break, she continued this activity for the entire three-hour trip. Every once in a while she surveyed the car with a bright-eyed glance, but never once did she catch my eye. My husband and I could have been a blanket wall.
I was amused, but some people would have felt uncomfortable , even repulsed(厌恶的）.there is something about making up in public that calls up strong emotional reactions. Partly it’s a question of hygiene. And it’s a matter of degree. Making up --- a private act--- has a way of neglecting the presence of others. I was once seated at a party with a model-actress who immediately waved a silly brush and began dusting her face at the table, demonstrating that while she was next to me, she was not with me.
In fact, I am generally prohibited from making up in public, except when I am in the company of cosmetics moment. In a gathering more professional than social, I would do so.
Kathy Peiss, a history professor at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst says that nose-powdering in the office was an occasion for outrage in 1920’s and 30’s. Deploring the practice as a waste of company time, trade journals advises managers to discourage it among workers. Peiss theorizes that it was female’s making up in what has been an all-male field that disturb some gentlemen.
Peiss tells me that after the 30’s , pulling out a make-up case was no longer an issue. It became an accepted practice. I asked if she feels free to apply lipstick at a professional lunch herself. Sounding mildly shocked, she says she would save that for the privacy of her car afterward. Why? Because it would be “a gesture of inappropriate feminity(女性化）.” One guess is that most professional women feel this way. There is evidence of the popularity of the new lipsticks that remain in place all day without retouching.
【小题1】According to the author, “My husband and I could have been a blanket wall.” (Line 6, Para.1) most probably means “________”.
| A．We were treated with an expressionless face. |
| B．We looked at the French woman expressionlessly |
| C．We used books as a wall to avoid the woman’s eyes |
| D．We were of no existence in the French woman’s eyes |
| A．allows public making up on certain occasions |
| B．feels comfortable when making up in public |
| C．only makes up on social occasions |
| D．makes up before any professional gatherings |
| A．normal office work was disturbed |
| B．it discouraged women’s interest in career |
| C．make dominance was emphasized there |
| D．it distracted make workers’ focus on work |
| A．Because they are worried about being looked down upon |
| B．Because it emphasizes their female features in wrong situations |
| C．Because it implies women’s disadvantages in academic fields |
| D．Because they are ashamed to be seen making up in front of males/ |
| A．have attracted little attention |
| B．hinder the social development |
| C．are attractive topics in talk shows |
| D．still call for great concern |
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